


Becoming Shirley and Johnny

by Lionessinthedark



Series: Sherlock's and John's challenges [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes BBC fandom
Genre: Johnlock - Freeform, Light BDSM, M/M, Mentions of violence and child-abuse (but it never happened), Post-His Last Vow, Sex, Very little sex mostly plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 13:13:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3938113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionessinthedark/pseuds/Lionessinthedark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock and John begin to film and begin get used to be two different people. It's not easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter one

John and Sherlock had traveled by train from London directly to Berlin, but not together. John had arrived the day prior to Sherlock, and had found his way by taxi to Irene’s address.  
As he rang the door telephone, John wondered how it would be to meet Irene again. He had not been on the best terms with her the last time they’ve met. But the warmth in her welcome actually swept him off his feet.

She had already made an appointment with a plastic surgeon to do some work on John and Sherlock and as John had arrived first, the surgeon would begin with him. As they both were doctors they were soon buried deep in technical discussions about what could be done to whom. 

As Sherlock turned up the next day John had already been under the knife and had bandages and plasters on his leg and on his face, giving him a false wound on the leg and altering his eyelids, mouth and his nose just a tiny bit so “John” disappeared and “Johnny” emerged. The alterations on Sherlock would be small alterations to his eyelids, his mouth and nose. Alterations that would be mostly reversible. If they survived!

They had discussed the breast implants as Sherlock had pointed out: no one would believe that Sherlock Holmes would do such a thing and that was exactly why he would do it. No one would have the suspicion that he would actually be Sherlock instead of Shirley. But John had just looked at him and said: “Chinese boxes”...and “reverse.....reverse” and Sherlock had just said: “Oh....yes you are right...” and the idea was dropped. 

Right now they were searching for a place for John and Sherlock for making their films, preferably a place where they could rehearse their performance on stage too and searching for people who would help them to make the films, they wanted to make. People who not necessary would know their real identities but on the other hand people that Irene knew and who could be trusted too. They would have to find out exactly what they could do to each other...Sherlock knowing his limits...or at least close to knowing....and John being a novice.

They were invited to live in Irene’s flat. She had room enough and as John understood he had no reason to be jealous, he was OK with that. Irene had the...hm...facilities and the knowledge to “push their limits”. It was something they should not do without proper advice. 

Irene was a bit puzzled: “I do not really understand the dynamic between you two. I didn’t understand it before. You puzzled me, as you apparently were attracted to each other, but not were lovers and yet you would get killed to save the other. Maybe we should just start some place: who is the Alpha?”  
Sherlock looked at John and John looked at Sherlock and gave a tiny nod, nearly not to be seen and Sherlock answered: “Well, most of the time it is me. But it is not like a dom/sub relationship. More like two officers and John is just right under me in the line of command. But it is only in areas that have to do with my abilities. In medical areas or in areas about human behavior...there is John my guide and....”  
Sherlock gave a smirk:”At home when I’m being too impossible, well there is John the person who tells me where to get off. I’ll never be able to force John to do something he really do not want to.....in that area he is better at forcing me: to eat when I forget it, to stop playing the violin in the middle of the night and to take care of myself if I’m ill and forget to take care of my body. He can be rather persistent!”

“And then you obey?”, asked Irene.

“Yeah....John just gives me “the look” and I remember that he is a doctor....a soldier.....a trained fighter...and he is not forcing me to do something to harm me. Quite the opposite!”

Irene turned to John: “And what do you think? I saw that you nodded to Sherlock....does he need your permission?”

“No....it’s just....how should I put it? He actually asked me if he should say it or if I would. I’m perfectly fine having Sherlock to decide a lot. But as he said...there are areas where it would be smarter if I made the decisions. He can persuade me to do things I never thought that I would agree on doing. He is rather good at pushing my limits and his appearance is so much more....striking would be the right word...than mine...and I’m quite OK with that!”

Irene: “OK I see it now...but if you should be convincing as two other persons and be more safe like that, you’ll have to change that dynamic. You Sherlock, being Shirley, you’ll let John do the talking and you John would have to be more aggressive. Pull rank. You must have done it in the army being a captain. So no longer the mild mannered doctor but the bad arse captain. As for the sex-part John: We’ll just have to find out how much your limits can be pushed.....but not until your wounds have been healed...and yours too Sherlock."

John turned to Sherlock: “I’ve wanted to say this to you since you came to Berlin: never ask me to harm you that way again Sherlock. I don’t care if you were forced to flog me in that factory. To use my skills to hurt you like that....never again!”

“It’s okay John. I understand, but it was necessary. And I obviously couldn’t do it to myself, could I?”

Irene just looked at the two men....quite a relationship.....it would be fun to teach them.


	2. Chapter 2

John had returned to Irene’s flat, after having left for a few hours being together with some of the men from their film-team. They had been in a “Beerstube” and had had a few “Weissbier” - wheat-beer. Actually rather refreshing and he liked them better than he would have thought and one did not become so easily tipsy drinking those beers. 

As John entered one of the living rooms he was a bit surprised as a totally unknown woman was sitting there together with Irene. He hurried to reach out his hand to say: “Guten Tag, mein Name ist Johnny Manson” (he was getting better at German!) and the woman rose (my god she was tall...and gorgeous and strangely enough vaguely familiar) and she answered in a rather deep voice for a woman – a contra-alto (and oh my god, John had something for deep voices):

“Ah....Guten Tag. Mein Name ist für nun eine Geheimnis….tut mir Leid…Ich bin froh dass ich endlich Ihnen treffen kann. Ich habe so viel über Ihnen gehört!“ 

(Oh…hello. My name is just for now a secret. I’m sorry. I’m happy finally to meet you. I have heard so much about you)

Irene: „John, möchtest du Kaffee?“

(John, would you like some coffee?)

And John answered: “Ja danke”….even though he would have preferred tea. And as Irene excused that she would have to finish her talk with the stranger, John didn’t mind. That gave him time to....discretely...watch that woman a bit more.

My god…she was tall. And those legs! She was dressed nicely and with some taste: A brownish turtleneck blouse which didn’t conceal her very shaped figure even though she didn’t have big breasts. She was wearing a slight pink two-piece set consisting of a skirt (not that long) and a small jacket – Chanel-style. And those long legs that continued for ever wrapped in tights in exactly the same colour as the blouse and dark brown suede knee-high boots. Her make up a bit on the heavy side but still beautiful, feminine curved yet full eyebrows and her hair....curly and a chestnut colour that really emphasized her green eyes.....EYES!? Those eyes were Sherlock’s eyes!!!

And John rose and went over to the woman and kissed her. Sherlock’s deep voice: “What took you so long?”

“Hm...maybe the quality of your disguise?! It was actually just your eyes that gave you away and maybe the makeup.....it’ll have to be a bit on the heavy side. But you’ll have to be a bit trashier as Shirley. Right now you have too much style!!! How long have you rehearsed?”

Sherlock looked at John: “Well the corset....one of many....arrived 3 days ago. I’ve actually worn it since when you were out taking care of our film set and talking to people. I’m getting used to it surprisingly fast and the rest that is Irene’s work. The waxing of my legs and arms, the manicure and the pedicure....you should see my toenails! And the makeup, my eyebrows and my hair. I’ll have to learn to do it myself. But if I can fool you, John at least for nearly 20 minutes. I’ll be able to fool anyone...and remember....I don’t have to pretend to be a woman....just being a man dressed as a woman!”


	3. Chapter 3

It took them about two months to become Shirley and Johnny. They dropped the nipple piercings. The healing period would be too long and they needed to be ready to make the films and the stage performances before the piercings could be fully healed. 

That they did not have the piercings could be added to their background story. They would have to put something in their story, explaining their still visible scars: Sherlock’s from Serbia, his wound on his chest and those from the factory and John’s from Afghanistan and the factory. And they would have to make that background story plausible.

Pushing John’s limits…turning him into a masochist or rather a “dom” with masochistic tendencies was not an easy task. Sherlock could turn his orientation on a dime, but John would have to build his “turning around” up slowly, with a day or at least several hours between being a sadist or a masochist. The change between being a “dom” or a “sub” wasn’t that difficult for him. Irene was never the less impressed that they actually both could be “shifters”. It was rather rare but as she said: “Nothing is normal when it comes to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.”

She had been very meticulous in her explaining about the dynamics in a dom/sub, sadist/masochist relationship, but Sherlock and John had stopped her explanations and explained themselves….and how silly of her. If anyone would have studied these things beforehand it would have been Sherlock. It was just the part about his own body’s reaction in real life he had not quite understood, but of course he had understood it theoretically. It was a bit disturbing though that John had to push himself into the masochism and the submission. A bit to his own surprise and Sherlock’s, the part of dominating and being on the handling-end of the whip came more naturally to him. John would have sworn that being a doctor he would have had more qualms of conscience about hurting Sherlock, but Sherlock’s obvious pleasure of even rather much pain and submission did put that aside. On the other hand….they both knew that they had to keep their heads clear and reduce their own pleasure while dominating and hurting the other one, because the bottom would often be in so much of a bliss because of the endorphins that he would beg for more pain that it would be wisely to administer. 

Right in that area Irene had a lot of advice. Because sometimes it was about cheating the brain: make things apparently graver by the use of other senses: sounds and visual means. A paddle that would sound harsher but not do so much damage and for example red wax that would make a greater visual contrast than white, but be the same temperature. 

John was rather persistent about getting pushed: “We do not have this much time! I know that Sherlock reach the “buzz” of endorphins rather fast compared to me even if he has a higher threshold for pain, but we have a purpose and very little time and for that I’m willing to get pushed a little bit further and faster than it is actually safe to do! I’ll just have to get my act together and continue. It’s not that I do not enjoy it when I finally end there. It just doesn’t come that easy to me, but then again: Sherlock has never done anything the normal way so of course he is better than me in being both a sadist and a masochist and both dominate and submit!

And it was the truth. Sherlock was just so good an observer that he actually read John’s body better than John himself did, so John felt secure and safe when he was dominated by Sherlock and being in the receiving end of the pain.

Sherlock had shown John the Ashtanga –yoga that worked so fine for Sherlock. But even though some of the exercises were all right, John felt better for his own military exercises and the exercises from the prison camp so many years ago. When and as John had the time he quickly gained his muscles from his soldier time back and he felt healthier than ever. They had discussed if Sherlock should turn his own exercises down a bit in order not to become to muscular for “Shirley” but as both Irene and John remarked: “you are going to be naked most of the time, so shouldn’t you look your best?”  
______________________  
They had made arrangements with filmmakers (who didn’t know their real identities), a studio and had sets made for 4 different sort of takes: one from their background story telling about how they met, one from their background story where Johnny and Shirley would tell about themselves – a sort of promotion-video and several from “The secret sex life of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson” or as it said on the poster to be (as they were not ready to perform yet): “The secret sex life of Herlock Solmes and Watt Johnson” and of course takes from their stage performances, but made on the set, as no one was allowed to film in any way on the real stage.

As they arrived at the studio just outside Berlin precisely 2 months and 2 days after their arrival in Berlin, they went straight to the makeup and dressing. First take would be Scene 1 in “The secret sex life of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson”. But as John entered the set ready and prepared and sat down in the armchair getting ready for the filming, it struck him....here he was, dressed as John Watson and not as “Johnny” and on a set that looked a bit like Baker Street and he sat down in “his” chair...overwhelmed...and pinched his nose between his eyebrows, closed his eyes and sighed.

Sherlock of course noticed and said in his best Shirley-voice: “Oh hello boys. Could you just leave us for a minute?” and he knelt down by the chair and said in his own voice:”John? Are you all right?”

“Yeah...just a little overwhelmed. Home-sickness you know. Just wondering if it all is a mistake...”

Sherlock rose and said: “I promised you....and I intend to keep that promise.....that if you put your foot down and said “no” I would respect it....is it now?”

John looked up: “Oh no Sherlock. I’m not quitting now. You misunderstand...or I said it the wrong way. It’s just the set that might be a misunderstanding. Being too close to Baker Street.”

Sherlock looked at John and said: “You are right. John. There is really no need for that. Only you and I know.....for that case it could all be Le Corbusier and just in black and white....”

He smiled and became Shirley again: “Oh....Johnny. We’ll just have to tell the boys that you are not in the mood and we’ll have to find another set and work tomorrow!” and then he bent over and whispered in John’s ear: “But you can keep the but plug inside....I’m going to fuck through the mattress, when we return to Irene’s flat!”  
John blushed...  
_____________________  
It turned out that there was another set to be used. It had been used to film another BDSM-story and Shirley swooned as she saw the bedroom...”Oh Johnny...there’s a real Andrea’s cross in here....imagine me tied to this and you flogging me!”.....Oh yes....John could vividly imagine that!!  
____________________  
The next day they made the scene in the new set: Still a fireplace and two comfortable chairs in front of it. Book shelves clustered with untidy heaps of books and papers and two large windows. But nothing like Baker Street.....everything on this new set was in red and gold and black (“very boudoir-like” as Sherlock dryly had remarked).  
“First take...first scene in “Sherlock goes shopping”...and action”......  
______________________  
Both Sherlock and John were satisfied as they saw the first takes...the “raw film”. As they would come to discover as they made all the film-scenes and the “we-pretend- takes” from their performances on stage, there would not be much to re-take. It would be difficult if they had to do it and the idea was to shoot the scenes in one long shooting. Like that they could not be accused of cheating and their “audience” for such films and of course stage-performances would appreciate the authenticity rather than the correct dialogs. In other words: the audience would like to see the two men fucking each other, dominating and submitting, being restrained and finally ejaculate and enjoying themselves and thereby entertaining and arousing their audience. So the plot and the dialogs were actually just excuses, so people could say: “we saw theatrical plays” instead of “we saw porn”. It was just a higher level of what people could find in the sinister backyard-theatres of Berlin, but then again....it was for another audience even though both audiences liked to see two gay men fucking each other.   
What Sherlock and John made was for an even smaller audience....the “connoisseurs”... who would appreciate whipping, flogging, welts and bruises and sometimes a bit of blood and even more exiting that the two guys could switch places. Sherlock had of course made investigations to find a way to Sherrinford and exactly what kind of “entertainment” was Sherrinford’s kink. Now when they had started filming and soon would make stage-performances, they would just have to be so special that they would catch Sherrinford’s eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Only the day after it was time to make the “That is how we met –scene”. John’s welts would be covered in his clothes and he was not handicapped by the small remaining pain. It would be worse later on as they would make more severe “marks” on each other, but never more serious than they would be healed totally a week after. Sherlock just hoped that it would be grave enough for Sherrinford’s liking.

Sherlock and John had thought that the worst obstacle in that "That's how we met-scene" would be to cover Sherlock’s scars and make them both look more than 10 years younger and give Sherlock the auburn hair that Charles had had at that time according to their background story.

But it turned out that John had real trouble by coping with the fact that Sherlock would have to give blow-jobs to two other men. John was a bit surprised to find out that he was that jealous. They had discussed the scene and written the manuscript about a week before the take and John had sort of joked a bit about Sherlock again taking the worst part being whipped and giving blow-jobs and it was there, as they were writing the lines that the jealousy hit John. Sherlock could...of course...immediately see that something bothered John. Of course John knew that he would have to accept it and it was important to make that scene. It was a part of their protection against Sherrinford’s coming inquiries. But it would be hard to watch.

John decided to stay in character and “Johnny” explained very meticulously to the two men what they could expect:  
“What you are going to experience is a privilege! And only once...and there are rules. You are clean! You will be wearing the special prepared underwear (Johns own red(!) ones, washed and clean but with a hint of his cologne). If you do exactly as you are told the scene will not be interrupted and you would be allowed to finish. Shirley will ask you questions and you are allowed to improvise. BUT obey the rules! And remember....this is a onetime experience! Shirley is a sub.....and you could bully her into giving you another blow-job. She would hate it but she would do it......and then you would meet me!“  
Johnny smiled nicely at the two men and suddenly they could see how dangerous he really was. They just nodded.

When John arrived at the studio Sherlock had all ready been in the “make up” several hours. John only needed make up on his face, but being totally naked Sherlock needed a full body make up covering every scar and removing the small wrinkles in his face. When he was finished he rose from the chair and faced John and stayed in character as Shirley as there were others present:  
“Oh Johnny...look.....I am 25 and “Charles” again. Do you like it, honey?”

John looked up and was speechless for a moment. Oh my....if he had met Sherlock, when Sherlock had been 25! He looked so young, so innocent with that short auburn hair (a wig since they would need Sherlock’s long black hair as Shirley was playing “Sherlock”) and that body of his. Without the scars he looked even more like a freaking Greek marble statue!  
John smiled and said: “Oh Shirley....you look exactly like the day we met! You are gorgeous!”

Shirley answered a bit worried: “I know, Johnny...and I know I’m not that pretty any more.....all my scars...”

But it was Sherlock’s worried eyes that looked back on John. And John rose and went to Sherlock and kissed him...carefully so the makeup wasn’t destroyed and said in Sherlock’s ear: “I don’t care about your scars. They are orders, medals, reminders of your bravery and sacrifices. I love every single one of them!”

And the makeup staff just looked at the two men and thought: "Arh...they are so in love"  
________________________  
The set was ready: apparently an abandoned factory. The lights were on. The 3 camera-men were ready and all the other people that were necessary for making motion pictures were ready too.

“How we met” first scene. First take”....clap...”and..... action”

(the idea was that it preferably should be one long take, so they could no be accused of cheating)

Sherlock was pushed in through the door. 3 men followed. One of them was John. Sherlock dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and a jacket. Sneakers. His hair short and auburn, he was looking very young. The 3 men dressed in rather the same: jeans, T-shirts, chelsea-boots or Doc Martens and black leather-jackets.

“So Charles....payment day!”

“Charles” looked sad and apologizing: “I’m sorry...but I haven’t got all the money. The bike broke down and you know Mr. Martens “No driving, no gain”. Can’t I “pay” some of the money like the last time...please?”

One of the men smiled: “Yeah.....it’s a hundred, right?”

“Charles”: “Yeah...and no need for a “Johnny”. But remember: do not touch my hair!” (it was of course because it was a wig. Normally Sherlock wouldn’t mind at all)

“Johnny” looked up and smiled.

The man sat down on a (rather convenient) chair and opened his zipper. “Charles” knelt in front of him and looked at the man’s already hard cock.  
“Slow or fast?” was the question.  
“Medium, just like last time” and that were the last coherent words that man said for 10 minutes.

“Charles” swallowed the cock down to the root in one long movement and the man’s knuckles went white as he grabbed onto the chair. He arched his back as Sherlock continued moving his head, swallowing the man’s cock totally....deep throating....and letting it go all the way out of Sherlock’s mouth again where he just let his tongue swirl around the head and a little bit into the slit. Sherlock observed the man carefully and as the man reached the edge after only one minute, Sherlock’s strong and long fingers took a firm grip round the root of the cock and stopped the beginning orgasm. He did that 8 times....and the man in front of him just babbled incoherent words and moaned as Sherlock took the cock inside again and swallowed around it. Two swallows and the man shot his load and moaned even more as he discovered that Sherlock just swallowed his semen. Sherlock rose and removed the rest of the semen from his mouth.

John was so thankful that he had remembered to put on a cock-ring. He knew that Sherlock wore one too...a very discreet flesh-coloured one.

Sherlock looked at the other man: “What about you?”

The man looked at the other man on the chair. He was totally undone: “Yeah....I can see, that it’s a god bargain....it was a hundred, right?”  
_________________________  
It had only taken Sherlock 5 minutes to finish the other man. “Johnny” had warned the man as he grabbed for Sherlock’s wig: “You heard the young man. Do not touch his hair!”

The two men were now outside smoking a cigarette. One of the camera-men followed them. Until now it had only been one take. Everything went smooth.

(Sherlock and John had discussed the next line, as they wrote the manuscript and John wanted to say: “Now it is just you and me, young man” but Sherlock had shuddered and said: “That was what Mycroft said to me in Serbia!” and proposed: “Now it is my turn, young man”)

John said: “Now it is my turn young man!”

Sherlock looked at him and said: “I don’t suppose that I can pay some of the money like I did just before?”

John smiled: “No...I’m sorry. But that is not the way I work”

“No... I suppose not”

“Why haven’t you just paid? You know you’ll get punished hard when it’s the third time?”

"Charles" answered: “Because I really haven’t got the money. I’ve given everything that I earned this month. I’ve even dropped buying food and just begged for food by the others in the fun fair or trashed the garbage bins by the shops. But it’s not your problem.....it’s mine. What are you going to do to me?”

“Give you a good beating. Teach you a lesson.”

“As if it should be necessary. I know I owe this money.....”

“Never the less”

“My face, my hands or my kneecaps?”

“No.... your back and your buttocks and with my belt...it’s especially made for this....”

And John began to remove it from his jeans.

Sherlock looked at him worried: “Hopefully not the buckle-end?!”

“No...it is a punishment, not a molestation”

“Do you expect me to beg or cry?”

“No....undress. Brace against the wall with your hands..”

Sherlock did as he was told. And John noticed that Sherlock’s hand removed his cock ring as he undressed. John could hear a murmur from the staff and Sherlock was gorgeous as he was standing there. John nearly salivated. They had a sign: Sherlock’s index finger would be bending when he was close....

Sherlock turned his head and looked at John: “Do you expect me to be silent? I can’t promise that. I’ve never been...the right word would be “flogged”, wouldn’t it?”

“Whipped”....flogged is with a “softer” instrument: a -cat –o-nine. Whip is harder....like a riding crop. Flogger is softer. My belt is something in between. “

“Oh...an expert then. Reassuring, I think”

And then the first blow landed on Sherlock’s back....leaving a welt. John didn’t hold back but whipped Sherlock with all his skill:

  
Two

  
Three..... And besides....it should look like a punishment.

Four

Five

Six

John carefully kept an eye on Sherlock’s finger. Sherlock was moaning but that was more for the benefit of the film.

Seven. John caught the eye of one of the camera-men and nodded. He should move and film Sherlock from the side. John knew that Sherlock would have an erection from the pain and the arousal by now. Sherlock had told John that those red pants of his and the cologne would trigger his brain to believe that he gave John the blow-jobs. Hopefully.

Eight

Nine

He could see that the cameraman blushed and that he had an erection himself by now.

Ten

Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen....Sherlock was close now.  
He moaned: “Please....do not stop...please....oh my....please.....I’m so close......”

And John continued: sixteen, seventeen, eighteen and there....Sherlock’s finger bending...one or two more: nineteen, twenty and Sherlock shuddered.......And felt to his knees and shuddered again. His shoulders moved.

John: “Charles...are you crying?”

And then Sherlock turned around, licking semen of his fingers: “I never knew pain could be that god. Not much punishment there. I bloody came!!!Don’t you think we should figure something out?”

And last line from John: “Oh my god....yes.....!”

And that was it. First take...and it was a success. People clapped and Sherlock went into Shirley mode and was given a kimono: “Johnny dear, was it all right?”

John: “Yes Shirley...you were wonderful!” and Sherlock winked with his right eye and left.

John had still his part of his monologue to make. They would make this as a introduction to the agents....telling about “themselves”....creating a background story that eventually would reach Sherrinford and protect them.

He went to the recording studio and sat down in front of the camera. He had his manuscript on small pieces of paper. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t forget anything. Sherlock would turn up later and make his part.

“That is how we met. At that time I was 30 and had been dismissed from the army. Maybe I should start from the beginning: Born and raised in London or to be more precise in Clapham North. A place where you quickly learn to survive in the urban jungle. School and education is not regarded as something important when you have learned to read and write and know a trick or two or maybe even 14. Job possibilities...hm....mostly on the wrong side of the fence.  
But my rescue was a military man who himself had grown up in our area. He gave me an offer I could not decline and there I was 16 years old and on my way to a military academy. My school knowledge was a bit rusty so I had a hard time trying to cope, but gradually I rose through the ranks and ended up as a captain....and in Afghanistan. To make a long story short I got wounded under combat and some unfortunately circumstances made that I was send home on a diminished army pension.  
And there I was...no job and who would want a wounded soldier? But I still had my sister and her children to support. I contacted my old chumps from my youth...those who were still alive and outside jail and told them that I was free on the market.  
And I started working as a “punisher”...you know those who work together with the “collectors” when people can’t pay their debts to the “bad boys”.  
I got quite a reputation there. Not mutilating people....it just makes it harder for them to work and earn money...but punishing them in a way so they understood that we were serious.  
And then I met Charles. I have to admit that I am a sadist. I like hurting people and that was part of the reason why I only got a diminished army pension. I had been too hard on some men at a few occasions.  
And there he was.....that beautiful boy with a body like a freaking Greek statue out of a museum. Brave and gorgeous. I made him an offer: I would pay his debts and I would take care of him, offering him a dom/sub-relationship. He asked me if it meant that he should obey me in everything and I told him that I didn’t expect to be his master that way. I was just offering him a companion ship where I would take care of him. I most certainly didn’t want a slave. And I told him what I had in mind and he agreed. That’s how we started to live together and the way we made money was by making live-shows in backyard theaters in London.  
It is surprising how much certain people would pay for seeing a young boy getting “punished” and fucked. Our shows were a bit different from the rest as we actually made role-plays: teacher/student; roman emperor/slave; sergeant/soldier and wore costumes. I had used nearly all my savings to get Charles out of his debts and he understood that we would have to make some money. He didn’t mind though....he found out that he really was a pain-slut and I sometimes had to restrain myself when he asked for more than it would be wisely to give him. There was no reason to give his wonderful body more scars than he had from driving that blasted motor-bike on the wall of death. We made quite a lot of money for a while.”

John looked up as Sherlock entered the studio.

“Oh...there you are love. It’s your turn now!” John said.

“Oh.....if I only can remember everything, Johnny” said Sherlock as he sat down in front of the camera: “Well. To put it short. Born and raised in Harlesden. Only my mother and I....and I couldn’t count on her anymore when I was 12. She kicked me out as she got a new man. I was tall and thin with....how did they put it....”the face of an angel” and since I wasn’t strong or clever and didn’t know any protectors, there were only one “career” for me.  
My first “sugar-daddy” wasn’t a nice man. He used to beat me...and at that time I did not like the pain. Thankfully I was “sold” after just a month to the man that protected me for the next 4 years. His only demand, except from of course the sex, was that I should wear woman’s clothing. Even in bed sometimes. He taught me to read and write and other school-stuff, since I hadn’t been much in school before. I think that he once must have been a teacher. He really didn’t fit in in our block or our neighborhood, but he...and I....was left alone because he was tall as a tree and strong as a gorilla.  
But that is why I prefer wearing women’s clothing now...it was from a time, where I felt secure and safe. And thank god Johnny understands”

And Sherlock padded John’s arm: “But then when I got to old and masculine for his liking at the age of 18, he gave me money and found a job for me in “Martens Fun-fair”, where he had worked before. And I began to drive that motorbike. I did that for 6 years until I met Johnny. The only problem was that I was afraid and it got even worse after I had fallen down and broken some ribs, twice. Then I got that “good” advice to use “coke”.....and that is how I ended up owing so much money to some of the bad guys. Not that I borrowed that much...but......you know! And then things were fine....for a while...And now it is your turn to tell, Johnny!”

John continued: “But to get out the claws of the criminals...it is not easy. Even if we and I had paid what Shirley had borrowed back ten times, they still asked for more. And when we refused to pay....they shot Shirley! (Thus explaining Sherlock’s scar on his chest). I came home just as they left and they saved Shirley on the hospital as he arrived there just in time.”

Sherlock: “And then they kidnapped Johnny. Nailing him to the wall with two knives through his hands and beating him with clubs. The idea is that the person should lose consciousness and slide down and ruin his hands but they had only got one blow on his back as I arrived with a lot of the tough guys from the Fun Fair. They would help even if I didn’t work there anymore. Those 4 guys who had shot me and abducted Johnny....well. They would not bother anyone anymore. They were alive but had tasted their own medicine.”

John continued: “And we decided to leave England and that is how we ended here in Berlin. Oh...one thing more. I found out that I was a “switcher” ," a twister" when I wanted to show Shirley how to perform as a roman slave being punished by his owner, a senator...and something about a toga that wouldn’t stay in place. And Shirley couldn’t understand what I meant so I asked her to use the whip on me...”

Sherlock laughed a very Shirley-like laughter: “And right there I found out that I like to dominate as well, as long as Johnny moans like that. Just a few welts and he had ruined his toga!”

John: “And then....using our ability to switch on stage...we got an offer we found difficult to decline. A man of wealth and well known in our circles wanted us to be more “rough” on each other. He wanted to see more than welts. He wanted real blood, real screams of pain. He actually thought that a lot of what we did on stage was a fake. Theater-tricks. But we proved him wrong. We agreed to make a show just for him and he paid us so much money that we would have time to heal and not work for about 6 months. But we got carried a bit more away than we should have. Making injuries that were leaving scars.  
And when we returned to the stage we found out that we would have to come up with something different to get back into the area again and as someone mentioned that we did look a bit like that detective in London and his lover, we used a bit of our money on surgery and here we are. So...with the right amount of money we could consider to go “rough” again. Just for you to know.”

“Camera off”

And their “life-insurance” was made. Of course...if anyone should try to track Johnny’s and Shirley’s lives, they would find everything fine and accounted for. Daiki (read eventually “Together!”) had made sure of that.  
____________________  
Later that evening...home in their flat as they were in the bathroom preparing for the night, Sherlock began to giggle.  
“What’s up?” asked John.

“Oh my....I’m so much Shirley now. You know how my memory works. It’s eidetic most of the time unless I choose to delete something.....”

“And?....”

“I couldn’t understand why I had chosen to delete how we met!” and Sherlock laughed again.

“Have you chosen to delete that we met at Bart’s?!” John felt a bit hurt...because even if he didn’t have a memory like Sherlock’s he most certainly could and would not forget the first time he met Sherlock.

“No...you loving idiot. I just wondered for a few seconds why I could not remember that we met in that factory!”

“I can’t either..?!” And the John pauses: “......Oh my....but we never.....”

“Exactly. Brilliant John!” And Sherlock hugged John from behind and murmured in his hair: “But I just wondered for a few seconds, because I’m not Sherlock right now. I’m “Shirley” and you are “Johnny”..and that protects us when were are that good at it that you and I can delude ourselves!”

**Author's Note:**

> Finally a new part of "Sherlock's and John's challenges".  
> My work takes a lot of my spare-time ;-). There are more to come, but I have plot-holes to fill so right now a lot of chapters are still "sleeping" on my hard disc.
> 
> And I do not own the characters.


End file.
